Tag: books

Imagined (Not Desired)

Published on by Tosha Michelle21 Comments

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It’s just you and me
alone in this room
of memory
called my mind.
No door for anyone else
to enter.
We dine on privacy
and live on nostalgic air.

Seeing everything
but what isn’t there.
We are always
best here.
Near but not near.
Out of nothing
into nothing.

Here your thoughts
turn in my hand.
We linger in the
backyard sun,
playing songs
about decaying
orbits.

On the swing.
In the grass.
we make love.
Stretched, sugared
on the over grown
yard of false charm.
Futile as the wet
tongue of dew on
the dying rose.

You touch me here,
where the pulse meets throat,
down my shoulder,
and lower.
Need peels from me.

On my knees,
beneath dust’s feet.
The weight of you
in my throat.
I taste the edges of sanity.
There’s no letting up.
No hint of the dark
birds overhead.

Remembered or
Imagined?

I can’t stop the
breathing air.
A victim of my
blinded eyes,
and the shadow
of you, infused
with what I do
not want.

Singing my fierce,
unthinkable out
stung melody.
Cluttering the
idiot air,
the threads of
flimsy pockets.
Trying to stitch
it back.
When I should just
let it rest.
This sweet delaying
of truth.

One day, I’ll tear down
this room, knocking it
into reality chinks
of light,
into the quietness,
into the empty enamel
of you.

The only thing left,
debris and an
unkissable memory,
the easiest to bear.

-Tosha Michelle

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NY Times Best Selling Author Sylvain Reynard on Poetry.

Published on by Tosha Michelle22 Comments

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NY Times Best Selling Author and my favorite enigma Sylvain Reynard was gracious enough to write a guest blog on poetry. If you aren’t familiar with Reynard’s books,you are missing out on riveting tales full of suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. You can find out more about SR and his work by going to http://sylvainreynard.com/ You can also find him in all his tweeting glory @sylvainreynard

This poet is a huge fan. You will be too.

Now I give you SR in his own words

_____________________________________________

Many people avoid poetry.

Poetry usually brings to mind limericks, or schoolyard sing-songs, or angst-driven blank verse. But The Iliad and The Odyssey are poems. Dante’s The Divine Comedy is a poem.

Poetry is extremely flexible as a genre and like other arts it contributes something important to the human experience. Poetry can be a thing of beauty and a medium for reflecting on profound and sometimes unsettling truths.

When I wrote The Gabriel Series, I was inspired by the poetry of Dante, hoping to introduce the beauty of his art to a wider audience. Dante is not very well known anymore and few people read him outside of school or university.

In my new Florentine Series, I was inspired by the poet Apuleius’s account of the love affair between Cupid and Psyche. Again, this is a poem that is not very well known and infrequently read.

You can read the tale by starting here: http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/TheGoldenAssIV.htm#anchor_Toc347999726

Psyche was the youngest of three sisters and very beautiful. Her beauty was so great, it intimidated prospective suitors. Her older sisters quickly found husbands, while Psyche remained alone.

Her father feared that Psyche had been cursed by the gods and so he sought out an Oracle, who instructed him to deliver his daughter up to marry a great winged evil. In sorrow and despair, the father obeyed. Psyche went along with the Oracle’s instructions, proclaiming that her condemnation was the result of unbridled envy.

And then something surprising happened…

“…prompted by the sight of the evening star, Psyche retired to bed. Now, when night was well advanced, gentle whispers sounded in her ears, and all alone she feared for her virgin self, trembling and quivering, frightened most of what she knew nothing of. Her unknown husband had arrived and mounted the bed, and made Psyche his wife, departing swiftly before light fell. The servant-voices waiting in her chamber cared for the new bride no longer virgin. Things transpired thus for many a night, and through constant habit, as nature dictates, her new state accustomed her to its pleasures, and that sound of mysterious whispering consoled her solitude.”

Psyche was delivered up to someone, but far from treating her evilly, he treats her well. He gives her pleasure. He loves her body. But he only comes to her at night, so she has no idea who he is.

The oracle prophesied of a great winged evil, but her husband reveals himself as a tender, attentive lover, who truly cares for her. One evening, he speaks to her,

“Sweetest Psyche,” he said, “my dear wife, cruel Fortune threatens you with deadly danger, which I want you to guard against with utmost care. Your sisters think you dead and, troubled by this, they’ll soon come to the cliff-top. When they do, if you should chance to hear their lament, don’t answer or even look in their direction, or you’ll cause me the bitterest pain and bring utter ruin on yourself.”

Psyche subsequently is faced with a dilemma – should she trust her husband’s actions and how he treats her, or should she trust the judgments of her family and the Oracle.

Psyche knows what it is like to be judged on appearance alone, without regard to her character. Suitors shunned her, because she was thought to be too beautiful and too perfect – like a statue. In the poem, it looks as if she places all her trust in appearances as she strives to discover her husband’s identity, not trusting that his actions have revealed his true character.

But what would looking on his face reveal? Would it make his actions a lie? Psyche doesn’t stop to reflect on her husband’s nature. If he were truly monstrous, he’d treat her badly and not kindly. He loves her and brings her pleasure and she seems to enjoy his company, although she is plagued with doubt. Her doubt, however, reveals a fatal flaw in her character – she cannot trust her judgment of her husband based on his actions; she must judge him based on his appearances. This fatal flaw will be her undoing …

You can read the rest of the story through the link I posted above.

I deal with similar themes in “The Prince” and “The Raven,” and also the next book in the series “The Shadow.” The male and female leads find themselves in a situation where they end up having to trust one another’s characters rather than outward appearances. Indeed, the importance of having a good character is one of the themes of the novels, along with love, sex, hope, and redemption.

I welcome your comments on the myth of Cupid and Psyche and I hope that you will take time for beauty and poetry in your daily life. – SR

Reading the Dead

Published on by Tosha Michelle43 Comments

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I love my dead relatives

like I love the broken

spine of my favorite book

I love the bent back pages

and the sad dust cover

of ruin. I’ll never discard

it. I take it out often and

bookmark it in memories.

In the chapters, I want the

words to live again. No

matter how many times

I reread the text, there is

no next scene.

I hope it plays out in

another dimension.

I’d like to think some things

are like this.

The morning light casts a

glow upon the cover,

giving it an angelic gleam.

Who could not admire the

beauty of a well loved book?

Wreckage made by years of

reading favorite passages

over again, and who could

not mourn, the sudden shock

when the pages begin

to fade?

-Tosha Michelle

Twenty Random Questions with Peter Hammarberg (Author of Antillia)

Published on by Tosha Michelle1 Comment

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I’ve known my guest today since the days of MySpace. Back when the site was cool and Tom had perfected the selfie game. A time when John Mayer was waiting on the world to change, and Donald Trump was just a blowhard with a TV show. Times have changed, but the man of the blog hour has stayed the same. He’s still the same affable, charming guy of yesteryear. I’m thrilled to introduce you to him.

Peter Hammarberg is a man’s man. He reminds me a bit of Hemingway with his rugged good looks and aptitude for the English language- Peter is a word herder dwelling in the northern wilds of New England. He’s been called a “Magnificent Bastard” and “The Patron Saint of Bourbon and Hearty Laughter” by genuine Cony Island sideshow performers. In addition, he has a tache that even Tom” Selleck would envy.

You can find his debut novel Antillia. at Amazon. A must read for Sci-Fi enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys well written fiction.

http://www.amazon.com/Antillia-Order-Lucifuge-Book-Volume/dp/0990839702

You can keep up with Peter and his shenanigans at:

Twitter @p_hammarberg
IInstagram: @h_mt

You can also follow him on WordPresss at hammermountainarts.com (Do it!)

My thanks to Peter for taking the time to engage in some tomfoolery,

Twenty Random Questions

1. If you were Alice, would you rather stay in Wonderland on the other side of the mirror, or come back to the real world to share your story?

Wonderland is a terrifying place. If I wasn’t killed by some whimsical psychopath and managed to make it home, I doubt I’d share the story– That’s a sure-fire recipe for padded rooms and colorful pills in wee paper cups.

2. If you were going to write an article about yourself, what would the headline be?

“Who Moved My Bourbon?”

3. If you were a drink, what would you be? Why?

I already have a drink named after me: The Hammer’dberg. It’s real simple to make. Take a pint glass, pour two-to-three fingers of bourbon (depending on your day) into it, then a dark beer. Best paired with either a cigar, bon fire, or a couch.

4. What childhood fear do you still have as an adult?

When I was a pup, I was afraid of ghosts. It took me a while to realize that they’d follow me wherever I was. I was the one haunted., not necessarily the places. I’ve come to terms with that. I don’t fear it anymore. I never poop alone, thanks to them.

5. If you could choose just one thing to change about the world, what would it be?

I’d like humans to get over themselves. We take ourselves too seriously.

6. What’s your favorite poem?

“Dinosauria We,” by Charles Bukowski. It’s the closest thing he’s written to a prophecy poem, and it’s chilling. He talks about the things to come, and you think, ‘Yep…’ To me, it’s the written equivalent to Grieg’s In The Hall of the Mountain King. The tone has a building, subtle frenzy until it explodes.

7. Does darkness soothe you or frighten you?

Give me darkness, and put a sock in it. I’m trying to sleep. My brain is like a stone-struck hornets nest when there’s light.

8. If you ruled your own country, who would you get to write your national anthem?

Dom Kreep from the band Kreeps. He’d make the song fun and spooky, which I’m sure is what living in my country would be like.
I’d say Wesley Willis, if he wasn’t dead, but… he’s dead.

9. What makes you nostalgic?

Songs. Scents. Comic books I haven’t read in a while. They bring me back instantly for better or worse. I think, ‘Cripes, that was another life. I’ve gotten fat,’ Then I partake in question 3 and forget where I put my pants.

10. Clowns. Creepy or cool?

I don’t have a fear of clowns, but I respect their creep factor. Unless you’re talking about a sad clown flipping pancakes in a foreign flick, I’d say creepy. Pogo, Pennywise, and Ronald are a few of the scariest.

11. Do you remember your dreams?

All the time. I’m sure psychiatrists would have a field day with me.

12. What’s your favorite song?

To me there is no such thing as a favorite song. There are far too many amazing tunes out there to pick one. It also depends on the mood.
Fight song? Twilight of the Thunder God, by Amon Amarth.
Romance someone’s face song? Love you to Death, by Type O Negative.
Life is a strange place song? Saltair by Kreeps.
Inspirational song? Do It, by Wesley Willis.
The list goes on…

13. What’s your favorite season?

Autumn. Crisp air. Trees aflame. Halloween. The world feels more vibrant during that time. Pour yourself a Hammer’dberg and sit outside for a spell.

14. Does pressure motivate you?

Pressure can suck it. I’m constantly under it. Even when there isn’t any external nonsense happening, my favorite pastime is tormenting myself with incessant “what if?s”.
It’s a real problem. I need Vanilla Ice to solve it.

15. To what extent do you shape your own destiny, and how much is down to fate?

This is a tricky one. I’m not a fan of “there’s a plan,” because then free will is an illusion. But I do like the theory of shaping the universe to your will. Put the thought out there and allow it to move you. Then again, they say ‘You can’t win the lotto without buying a ticket,’ so I have no idea. I guess whatever works for you is the answer.
And that’s what they call a “cop-out answer,” kids.

16. What published book do you secretly wish you had written?

None. The way I see it, if I wrote the books I loved, they probably wouldn’t be that lovable. That’s not to say I wouldn’t do a good job, but there are reasons certain books are amazeballs.

17. Are you the paranoid type or calm, cool and collected?

Paranoid. I don’t think the toaster is a government spy, mind you, but I definitely have moments where I’m too high strung for my own good.

18. What would qualify as the afternoon of your dreams?

Walking through Portsmouth New Hampshire with my wife, as we drink coffee and scheme diabolically.

19. Are you more like fire or the earth?

I’m too lazy to be fire. I’d say I’m more like an old, haunted forest.

20. Do you hear voices?

All the time. Especially when I’m trying to sleep, I hear all the worries and doubts. It’s sad, really. When I tell them to shut up, it’ll change to theme songs of shows I can’t stand.
I’m really my own worst enemy.

Bonus question:
What are you currently working on?

I’m putting the finishing touches on a bizarro/horror novella called Gravenfrost. I’ve gone the path of Lovecraft, and created my own New England town to fill with creeps and spooky shenanigans. The story is focused on an FBI agent named Doyle and his investigation into a ghost hunting tv show host losing his mind and murdering his cast and crew during a “hunt” in a place nicknamed The Devil’s Domicile.

I’ve had a few beta testers read it, and I’m getting a lot of positive feedback. One even told me she was doing laundry in the basement when the book popped into her mind. She was so creeped out, she hurried like mad in order to get back upstairs. That makes me smile. If all goes according to plan, it should be available this October from Hammer Mountain Arts.

Excerpt from THE PRINCE by Sylvain Reynard on sale 1/20/15

Published on by Tosha MichelleLeave a comment

THE PRINCE by Sylvain Reynard

“The unveiling of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy at the Uffizi Gallery exposes the unsuspecting Professor Gabriel Emerson and his beloved wife, Julianne, to a mysterious and dangerous enemy.

Unbeknownst to the Professor, the illustrations he secretly acquired years ago were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld. Now one of the most dangerous beings in Italy is determined to reclaim his prized artwork and exact revenge on the Emersons, but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne …

Set in the city of Florence, “The Prince” is a prequel novella to “The Raven,” which is the first book in the new Florentine Series Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard.

“The Prince” can be read as a standalone but readers of The Gabriel Series may be curious about the connection between The Professor’s world and the dark, secret underworld of “The Prince”

See my review here.
https://laliterati.com/2015/01/09/the-prince-by-sylvain-reynard-a-review/
_________________________________________
Excerpt from THE PRINCE

In the distance, the Prince could hear voices and muffled sounds.

He approached silently, almost floating across the floor.

Desperate groans and the rustling of fabric filled his ears, along with the twin sounds of rapidly beating hearts. He could smell their scents, the aromas heightened due to their sexual arousal.

He growled in reaction.

The corridor was shrouded in darkness but the Prince could see that the professor had his wife up against a window between two statues, her legs wrapped around his waist.

Her voice was breathy as she spoke, but the Prince tuned out her words, moving closer so he could catch a glimpse of her lovely face.

At the sight of it, flushed with passion, his old heart quickened and he felt the stirrings of arousal.

It was not his custom to observe rather than participate. But on this occasion, he decided to make an exception. Careful to remain in the darkness, he moved to the wall opposite the couple.

The woman squirmed in her lover’s arms, her high heels catching on his tuxedo jacket. Her fingers flew to his neck, undoing his bow tie and tossing it carelessly to the floor.

She unbuttoned his shirt, and her mouth moved to his chest, as murmurs of pleasure escaped his lips.

The Prince felt more than desire as he watched the woman’s eager movements. He caught a glimpse of her exquisite mouth and the toss of her long hair that would no doubt feel like silk between his fingers.

She lifted her head to smile at the man who held her close and he could see love in her eyes.

THE PRINCE – Novella – 1/20/15 – InterMix

BN:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-prince-sylvain-reynard/1120399274?ean=9780698192065

​Amazon:

Amazon UK:

Amazon Canada:

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-prince/id922369900?mt=11

​The Raven – Book One of The Florentine Series 2/3/15

BN
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-raven-sylvain-reynard/1119619658?ean=9780425266496

Amazon

Amazon Canada

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-raven/id888019240?mt=11

SR’s links

The Florentine Series FB Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Florentine-Series-Official/462002477277254?ref_type=bookmark​

​Website
http://www.sylvainreynard.com

Twitter
​www.twitter.com/sylvainreynard​

Confessions of a Reformed Southern Belle: A Poet’s Collection of Love, Loss, and Renewal.

Published on by Tosha Michelle2 Comments

My book of poetry, Confessions of a Reformed Southern Belle: A Poet’s Collection of Love, Loss, and Renewal. is now available on Amazon. I would be honored if you read my words. I’m certainly no Whitman. I don’t claim to be. My poetry is simple and a reflection of me. You’ll find a melancholy, introspective, and somewhat snarky woman between the covers of the book. A woman who is no stranger to loss and heartache, but a woman who also has experienced love in its purest form, along with moments of great bliss. This book is an expression of my heart. Is it a work of art? I’ll let you be the judge. I can tell you, it was a labor of love. Be gentle.

I’d like to share the Foreword with you. Note, it was written by USA Today reporter, Ron Barnett.

Foreword
How do you write a foreword for a book of poetry that has you on the verge of tears, then laughter, then soaring through the high places only a true poet can take you? Hang on, and check your preconceptions, because Tosha Michelle is about to take you on a journey through depths of the heart, and you won’t return unchanged.
I have a particular bias in support of this beautiful woman-child, because I am the guy she calls “Dad.” I’m actually not her biological father, but I have loved her deeply since before I married her mother when Tosha was eight years old, and I’m pretty sure she feels the same way about me.
She was always a witty little girl, with an incredible imagination and a talent for storytelling. And growing up, she read – a lot. She had some vision difficulties and would hold a book right up to her nose to read, but it seemed like she could read from cover to cover in a few minutes. I’d like to take some credit for her writing, being a writer myself, but I think she soaked it in on her own mostly, through all that reading she did as a child. She developed a love of words and stories and the worlds they transported her to, and her talent blossomed as an adult.
She also spent a lot of time with her grandmother, and around the good folks of the small town of Walhalla, South Carolina, where she absorbed the Southern culture that marked her personality and writing style. She has broken that mold, as the title of this collection hints, but is forever marked by the richness of the Carolina ambiance. The pathos of love lost early in life, recollection of the pains of adolescence and self-doubt still haunt her sometimes, but she has found her salvation through creativity – through expressing those dark feelings in verse, and in her singing. (If you haven’t heard that, you’re in for another treat.)
I’ve been a writer and journalist for a long time, and part of that time as an editor. When I read material written by others, I invariably find myself mentally editing, changing things around to the way I would have written them. In this collection, however, I found very little that I would touch as an editor. Tosha has an incomparable sense of rhythm and diction and style that are uniquely hers.
I’m no poetry critic, and I am biased in this case, but I think you’ll agree with me that her poetry is for the ages. She’ll take you through the depths of melancholy and loneliness with “Yearning,” and sing a “Love Song to the South” that will take you back to a simpler, more beautiful time. She’ll have you cracking up with a poem about her cat, dancing with her “Goddess of the Night,” and ready to take on the world, with “One Voice.” One of my favorites is her expression of soaring of the universal soul in the Whitmanesque “Edges.”
And everything she writes cries out with the words of the poor little forgotten book on the shelf – Read Me! Go ahead and turn the page.

Twenty Random Questions with Children of the Canyon’s Author-David Kukoff

Published on by Tosha MichelleLeave a comment
  1. If you were Alice, would you rather stay in Wonderland on the other side of the mirror, or come back to the real world to tell your story?

NO BRAINER – COME BACK AND TELL MY STORY. UNLESS THE MAD HATTER SERVED TACOS BY LEO (MY FAVORITE LA TACO TRUCK) AS HIS DAILY TEA SNACK; THEN IT’D BE A TOSS-UP.

  1. Do you sing in the shower?

YES – AND ON KEY.

  1. What childhood fear do you still have as an adult?

HEIGHTS.

  1. An author with whom you would like to have lunch?

TIM O’BRIEN.

  1. Do you wake up at night to read or write?

ONLY WHEN MY DREAMS ARE BORING ME.

  1. Do you feel anxious or excited when you start to write?

DEPENDS ON HOW PREPARED I AM. WHEN I’VE ALREADY WORKED OUT IN MY HEAD WHAT I’M GOING TO WRITE, I’M EXCITED TO WRASSLE WITH THE MOTHER TONGUE.

  1. Does darkness soothe you or frighten you?

NEITHER – IT’S WHERE I LIVE, BABY. THINK WATER :: FISH.

  1. If you ruled your own country, who would you get to write your national anthem?

JONI MITCHELL.

  1. What makes you nostalgic?

MY KIDS.

  1. Does love dry up your creative juices or make them flow faster?

DRIES ‘EM UP. ANYONE WHO SAYS OTHERWISE ISN’T REALLY IN LOVE.

  1. Do you remember your dreams?

SOMETIMES – SEE ANSWER TO #5.

  1. What’s your favorite color?

TOO MANY ANSWERS, BUT HERE ARE A FEW SAMPLES: TO WEAR, BLACK. TO DRIVE, GREENISH KHAKI. TO DATE, THE FULL RAINBOW COALITION.

  1. What’s your favorite season?

ANYTHING THAT’S NOT WINTER.

  1. Does pressure motivate you?

IF IT COMES IN THE FORM OF A DEADLINE, YES.

  1. Would you rather live to write or write to live?

I’VE DONE THE LATTER, AND IT MAKES YOU A HELL OF A LOT MORE GRATEFUL FOR THE FORMER. CAN YOU DO BOTH? I’M ON THE VERGE OF PULLING THAT ONE OFF NOW, I THINK.

  1. What published book do you secretly wish you had written?

WHITE NOISE. AND NOT SECRETLY, EITHER.

  1. Are you the paranoid type or calm, cool and collected?

NEITHER, REALLY.

  1. What would qualify as the afternoon of your dreams?

DRIVING MY CONVERTIBLE AROUND ALL MY FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOODS IN LOS ANGELES, ENDING ON THE BEACH.

  1. Are you more like the sun or the moon?

DESPITE MY GLIB ANSWER TO #7, THE SUN. I’M ACTUALLY A PRETTY UPBEAT PERSON.

  1. Do you hear voices?

EVERY WRITER SHOULD, AT TIMES. RIGHT?

 

I’d like to thank David for taking time out of his busy life to participate in this blog post. I do have to wonder why he felt the need to yell at us. (Kidding) Here’s a little more about David and his poignant coming age novel Children of The Canyon.

 

About David:
“I put every syllable of a novel through the wringer hundreds of times to measure everything from connotation to rhythm.”

“A native Angeleno and graduate of Columbia University and UCLA Film School, David Kukoff has eleven produced film and television credits to his name (including the hit Disney movies “Model Behavior” with Justin Timberlake and Kathie Lee Gifford and “Switching Goals” with the Olsen Twins). Following a spec screenplay sale that made the front page of Variety, he went on to write for every studio and network in Hollywood, publish two books on film and television writing, and be the subject of numerous features in Variety, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, and KCET’s award-winning “Life And Times Tonight.”

Mr. Kukoff has also taught writing at Northwestern (where he was elected to the university’s Faculty Honor Roll in his first year), UCLA, and NYU, served as a guest editor for UK academic publisher Palgrave MacMillan, and been featured as a guest lecturer at UCLA’s Faculty Lecture Series at Lake Arrowhead.”

Children Of The Canyon

Children of the Canyon tells the story of David, a boy growing up in LA’s fabled Laurel Canyon neighborhood as the 1960s counterculture is coming to an end.

David’s record producer father works with the reclusive former leader of a surf music band on an album that promises to elevate the legacies of both men to immortal status. His distant, peripatetic mother rides the waves of activism and feminism in and out of David’s life. The elusive Topanga, named for the city’s last remaining Eden, whom David meets on the beach the night of his parents’ separation continues to elude his futile attempts to reconnect with her throughout the decade.

Through David’s eyes, we bear witness to the fallout from the California Dream’s malfunction: the ruined families, failed revolutionaries, curdled musical idealism, and, ultimately, the rise of the conservatism that put the country on its present path.

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Allison, Andy and David. “It’s feel like a coming of age”

Published on by Tosha Michelle1 Comment

Shameless plugs. I’ve been informed there will be candy. Three books to add to your shelf or Kindle( but not kindle)

Undiscovered Gyrl
by THE Allison Burnett

Synopsis-

“Beautiful, wild, funny, and lost, Katie Kampenfelt is taking a year off before college to find her passion. Ambitious in her own way, Katie intends to do more than just smoke weed with her boyfriend, Rory, and work at the bookstore. She plans to seduce Dan, a thirty-two-year-old film professor.

Katie chronicles her adventures in an anonymous blog, telling strangers her innermost desires, shames, and thrills. But when Dan stops taking her calls, when her alcoholic father suffers a terrible fall, and when she finds herself drawn into a dangerous new relationship, Katie’s fearless narrative begins to crack, and dark pieces of her past emerge.

Sexually frank, often heartbreaking, and bursting with devilish humor, Undiscovered Gyrl is an extraordinarily accomplished novel of identity, voyeurism, and deceit.”

Allison Burnet knows how to a craft a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. His gift for storytelling and for getting into the mind of a 17 year old girl is remarkable and a bit eerie. You’ll be moved by her depth, her struggles and desire to be loved. You will feel her very being. You will relate to Katie. Hell, you could be Katie. This book will sing to you a heartbreaking, bluesy melody that will linger and wrap around your soul.

Undiscovered Gyrl is not just a voyeuristic look into the mind of a troubled teen. It is a haunting, cautionary tale that will leave you disturbed and changed. It’s about connections and the need to be love. Engrossing, moving, full of angst and humor. Burnett’s language is lyrical and economical. His imagination and creativity knows no bounds. The end of the book is risky, bold, and brave much like it’s heroine and the message she imparts.

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2. Electroboy-A Memoir of Mania
by Andy Behrman (Starbucks addict, Abba dancing, tuna eating, man of the people)

Synopsis-

“Electroboy is an emotionally frenzied memoir that reveals with kaleidoscopic intensity the terrifying world of manic depression. For years Andy Behrman hid his raging mania behind a larger-than-life personality. He sought a high wherever he could find one and changed jobs the way some people change outfits: filmmaker, PR agent, art dealer, stripper-whatever made him feel like a cartoon character, invincible and bright. Misdiagnosed by psychiatrists and psychotherapists for years, his condition exacted a terrible price: out-of-control euphoric highs and tornadolike rages of depression that put his life in jeopardy.”

A mind you won’t forget, a narrative that will linger. A Trifecta of sex, drugs and a bi-polar brain. This book is a stand out in the mental health genre. Andy is a stand out in life. Read the book. Feel the chaos. Be changed.

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Children of the Canyon
by David Kukoff

Synopsis-

“Children of the Canyon tells the story of David, a boy growing up in LA’s fabled Laurel Canyon neighborhood as the 1960s counterculture is coming to an end. David’s record producer father works with the reclusive former leader of a surf music band on an album that promises to elevate the legacies of both men to immortal status. His distant, peripatetic mother rides the waves of activism and feminism in and out of David’s life. The elusive Topanga, named for the city’s last remaining Eden, whom David meets on the beach the night of his parents’ separation continues to elude his futile attempts to reconnect with her throughout the decade. Through David’s eyes, we bear witness to the fallout from the California Dream’s malfunction: the ruined families, failed revolutionaries, curdled musical idealism, and, ultimately, the rise of the conservatism that put the country on its present path.”

COTC is a coming of age book that even J.D. Salinger would endorse. It will speak to the child you were. It’s relatable, real and moving. The themes of abandonment, love, the fragility and resiliency of the human spirit will resonate.

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Get lost in a book today..

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.so, I can have my candy tomorrow.

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Ability Therapy by Sarah Mueller

Published on by James Dennard1 Comment

Ability Therapy, published in 2013 by Abbey Press, is a book by Sarah Mueller that encourages those of us with disabilities, whether physical or mental, to keep a positive attitude. In her book, Sarah also dispenses wisdom regarding how to help people without disabilities understand, relate to, and help us. Statistics tell us that one in five people have a physical disability, so the book serves as a gentle reminder that if you yourself do not have a physical disability, odds are that someone you know does.

Ability Therapy is arranged in thirty-six concise chapters, each with an accompanying picture drawn by R.W. Alley. The illustrations are elves in various situations that match the discussion of each chapter. This is an unique and whimsical idea that makes you smile as you read. The style of the book is perfect for several reasons. It is a short book that is easy to read in one sitting. The small dimensions of the book mean it can be stored and easily referred to whenever you want to reread it. And you are going to want to return to the book regularly to enjoy it and review the wisdom in its pages.

The thing I like most about Ability Therapy is how it encourages us to adopt a positive attitude in the face of our challenges. Perseverence in the face of failure. Doing as much as you can and pushing your limits. Always respect yourself and others. These are some of the lessons Sarah exhorts us toward in her book. Having a physical disability myself, I related to so many things mentioned in the book. I know from experience that the lessons Sarah shares are hard won. One of the chapters that talked about dealing with doubts when it seems you have an “invisible” disability was familiar for me. I find that a lot of people know me for quite a while before learning that I have a disability. I am sure that young people (and even not-so-young people) who read this book will beneift from the advice in these pages.

We will welcome Sarah on our on February 27. On a personal note, I am particularly excited about talking with her. She has Spina Bifida, the same physical disability I have. We have exchanged electronic messages for a while. But this will be the first time we have talked by phone.

Jim (a.k.a. Niles)

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